Claims Magazine September 2007
Cover Story
Critical Failure
The disastrous collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis on Aug. 1, 2007, has gripped the nation.
Features
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Staying Ahead of Fraud
To catch and prevent fraud, we must use the latest and most powerful techniques available to us as professionals.
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The Mold Exclusion
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the insurance industry saw a very sharp increase in the number of claims being submitted for mold damage associated with covered water damage claims.
Columns
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High-Tech Considerations
Innovative, unique best practices are the cornerstone in establishing a competitive advantage in the claim marketplace.
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Up on a Rooftop
A roof may be considered many things. It could be an airstrip for Santa and his reindeer or an oasis for James Taylor or the Drifters when this old world starts getting them down.
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Phoning It In
Large insurance companies typically implement one of two claim-handling models.
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Bridging the Industry
Bridging the Industry is the title of the Claims Conference of Northern California this September, at their two-day meeting in Sacramento.
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Dismissed But Not Forgotten
Insurance company Insco insures a technology company that makes parts for computers.
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Are You a "Go-To" Risk Manager?
What makes truly exceptional risk managers successful? One feature: they know how to think like businesspeople and understand a business' needs.
Departments
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I.I.I. Comments on Bridge Collapse
In the wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse last month, Loretta Worters of the Insurance Information Institute spoke with Claims.
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Allstate Rebuts Stinging Criticism
Allstate is facing criticism following a scathing report that, among other things, accuses the company of being a leader in developing anti-consumer claim practices.
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Technology and Claim Adjusting Examined
Can technology ever replace the claim adjuster?
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Questions of Coverage
The most important -- and often toughest -- part of an adjuster's job is determining coverage based on policy language.
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Speaking Of: New Orleans Flood Litigation
An appeal court's ruling last month resulted in a major victory for insurance companies, who could have been on the hook for billions of dollars in flood claims that resulted from the levee breaches.
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Luxury Car Parts Increase Claim Costs
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted damage tests on the bumpers of luxury cars at three and six miles per hour.
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Scruggs Prosecution Back On
Thisis fast becoming a main attraction to the Hurricane Katrina three-ring circus.
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AIG Faces Fines
The Oregon Department of Consumer Business Services (DCBS) forced a $5 million fine on nine American International Group (AIG) insurers for violating several workers' compensation and insurance laws.
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Hailstorm Losses Add Up
A hailstorm in northern Ohio has caused extensive damage to vehicles and homes, resulting in thousands of insurance claims being filed.
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Progressive's Claim Department Wows Arkansas
The Professional Insurance Agents of Arkansas (PIAA) has recently changed the name of its "Person of the Year" award to recognize Progressive's Arkansas claim organization.
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Terrorism Risk Model Released
Location intelligence provider Pitney Bowes MapInfo and strategic intelligence company Exclusive Analysis have teamed up to provide insurers with a new terrorism risk model and data set called TerrorRisk.
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AIR Updates Hurricane Model
AIR Worldwide Corporation has released version 9.0 of its U.S. Hurricane Model, which features an enhanced methodology for estimating business interruption losses.
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SPSS Updates Predictive Applications
SPSS has presented its new versions of data mining, text mining, survey research, and predictive enterprise service products.
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It's Called Help
Last week, at a conference, a woman walking ahead of me as we left a session tripped and fell.
